High Octane
by Coleiosis
Summary: Ever read about PSASBR characters competing in a Twisted Metal tournament? Well now you will see it for the first time! Ratchet wishes for all the madness on Earth to end and for things to be back to normal. Rated T for mild violence and scary situations


PlayStation All-Stars: Breaking Reckoning

Part Three: High Octane

By Cole Bezotte

**Note: See other PlayStation All-Stars stories written by Coleiosis to know the use of the asterisk symbol (*).**

*****Calypso, Mr. Ash, Minion, and Black walked back into the city of Los Angeles only to see that their plan to destroy the city had failed. The buildings had gotten back onto the ground and were now standing perfectly still, not crooked. Little did they know that Gigadis had a different plan with the city; he wanted to use Primeval as his pet to "recycle" the buildings and replace them with something far more powerful. It seemed awfully similar to Needles and Club Kid's plan, although nothing shall be said until the right time.

The four villains were brushing themselves off as they sulked in agony. "How stupid…" Calypso spoke up. "Do you know how stupid that was?!"

"You're telling ME!" Mr. Ash replied. "What kind of a stupid name is 'Nepnep?!'"

"I can't say. But it was very immature of us to be beaten up by that girl!"

"Didn't you see!? She's more powerful than we think!"

But little did the villains know that on top of one of buildings in Los Angeles stood a lonely figure. The Lombax Ratchet stood there on the rooftop, looking out into the scenery of the city. "Things have gotten worse," he thought to himself. "I couldn't bear to feel Sasha's heart fail just like that. And it was all because of that bully Gigadis! He fooled us all into thinking that we had the real Life-Giving Flower! He even disguised his own name into Sidagig (that's his name in reversed)! That trip was such a bust; I risked my neck for nothing! Gigadis had the antidote behind my back this whole time! He then killed Sasha; HE KILLED THE GIRL I LOVED! One day, he'll pay for what he has done! He'll even confess to the world that he made me this man on the run!"

Tears streamed down his face as he thought about it even more. After a while, he could not take any more of this. "Something has to be done," he thought. "Something has to change the course of everything! It needs to be back on track! And yet… I know only one person who could help. But it's not going to be easy convincing him."******

*That's the most outrageous piece of news I've ever heard!" Calypso exclaimed as he laughed so hard, he almost fell completely to the floor. Ratchet was paying Calypso a visit at the Underworld, where the four villains had already returned to see Mr. Grimm, Yoshimitsu, Mael Radec, and Evil Cole MacGrath recovering from the gas that Gigadis engulfed on them.

"Now I know," Evil Cole spoke up as he got back up onto his feet. "Gigadis turned traitor on us in order to steal Primeval from us! That rotten double-crosser!"

"Gigadis can't be trusted," Minion replied. "He's thinking too much about himself and wants to seize supreme power! Perhaps we can go out and tie him in a knot!"

"Easy, Minion," Mr. Ash came in. "Perhaps we should see why Ratchet is here in the first place."

Ratchet stood there, looking uneasy like a helpless little boy. He looked up at Calypso acting like a drunken bully and laughing in his face. "I'm serious," Ratchet said to him. "I want to compete in the Twisted Metal contest! It's the only way I can ask for things to change! I want things normal again, and—"

"Hold your tongue," Calypso interrupted. "You can give me your request once you have finished the game. And as for me, I no longer need my Calypso Industries company back. This competition that you want will be sponsored by the Underworld!" Calypso's smile became very wicked and excited. "You can get your friends to compete as well! I'm sure that they would love to bring down their worst enemies! Do you have a vehicle?"

"I have the sports car Spectre with me. Can you give me a boost of ammunition?"

"Of course!" Calypso replied, still smiling in excitement. "We'll give you everything you need to fight in the greatest demolition derby ever! If you win, you can tell me your heart's desire, and I can give you your prize! What do you say, friend?!" Eagerly, he held out his hand for Ratchet to shake it.

"You're not necessarily my friend," Ratchet continued. "But I'm agreeing with you on this."******

** ***Later, Ratchet got the car Spectre ready for combat. Pupuru watched as another Lombax (the one known as Angela Cross; a survivor) attached the machine guns and rockets onto the car Grasshopper. Pupuru felt like she needed to help Ratchet in this dire need of revenge, so she went over to Angela and spoke to her: "Excuse me; is there any chance that I can help Ratchet wish for his friend back?"

"Sorry, little girl," Angela replied. "I wish it was so, but you're too young to be doing this. We don't want you to die out there in the battlefield."

"But I just want to help in the best way I can. I really want to help!"

"I'm sorry, but things are just the way they have to be." (Note: a girl moment is about to happen right here.) With that, Angela knelt down and hugged Pupuru, feeling such pity for her.

Pupuru, so sad, has never felt so left out before.******

** ***And so, it was all set. All twelve competitors have set up their vehicles and weapons for this demolition derby. And the contestants were:

1. Ratchet, driver of Spectre, wishing for everything to be back to normal.

2. Nathan Drake and Sly Cooper, drivers of Hammerhead, wishing for Ratchet to be pardoned.

3. Needles, driver of Sweet Tooth, wishing for his new empire to be created faster and to rule all of Earth.

4. Club Kid, wishing for Needles' new empire to be a big party as well.

5. Raiden, driver of Thumper, wishing for the good guys to win it all.

6. Commander Mason, driver of Warthog, wishing for the world to not see Ratchet as a threat.

7. Gigadis, driver of Roadkill, wishing to take Pupuru as his bride and rule the world together.

8. Mr. Grimm, wishing to feast on the souls from the Ring of Souls

9. Kratos, driver of Axel's wheels, wishing for the gods to unite with the League of Heroes

10. Preacher, driver of Shadow, wishing to let the world beware of Ratchet (seeing Ratchet as the biggest threat).

11. Mr. Ash, driver of Darkside, wishing for the Underworld to become the ultimate supreme inhabitant of Earth.

12. Angela Cross, driver of Grasshopper, wishing for the good guys to be victorious for all.******

** ***And so it begun. The Twisted Metal battle of 2015 had now started, allowing all competitors to crash into each other and fire their weapons. But the good guys tried so hard to avoid each other; they did not want to fight amongst themselves. They only aimed for the bad guys, who were hungry for the sweet victory that they would soon receive (or at least they think so).

At their first battleground, Calypso spoke on a loudspeaker so everyone can hear: "'Fearless' has WipEout for its second representation, which is a racing game from Sony. I can imagine it being like Monaco, where everyone can blow up the racers!" Calypso laughed hysterically at his own quote.

Soon the battle went on and brought the contestants into full action. First, Nathan Drake and Sly Cooper used their special weapon Monster Crush to ram right into Needles' ice cream truck, flipping it around three times. The truck ended up lying on its side, seeming like he was out of the game already. But Needles had tricks up his own sleeve; he quickly fired his Napalm Cones rapidly and kept on shooting Nathan and Sly's monster truck, forcing it away. The monster truck then lost its balance and came flipping forward onto its front. That made two competitors already out of the game.

Somewhere in the background, Jak and Pupuru watched the battle unfold right before their eyes. "Now I know what you mean," Pupuru spoke up. "This is indeed a very dangerous game!"

"Has Ratchet really lost his nerve?" Jak thought to himself. "I hope I know what he's doing."******

** ***At their second battleground, Calypso again spoke through his loudspeaker, announcing the name of this place: "Columbia here was invaded by the Iron Maiden, otherwise known as Dollface. Plus, I would love to see this place blown up!" After speaking, Calypso thought to himself: "After saying this, I hope Ratchet doesn't complain to me about my daughter Krista. Perhaps it would be better if he never mentions my entire family."

During the battle, Club Kid came charging towards Raiden. Once he rammed right into him, he right away dropped a Vortex on the exact spot that he landed, sucking Raiden and his vehicle into it. "See you in the marsh pit!" Club Kid exclaimed. "Only I am immune to my own special weapon!"

The Vortex kept on spinning Raiden's vehicle around and around until it finally spat him back out. But his car was too weak, and it immediately crumpled to pieces. Another competitor was out of the game.******

** ***At the third battleground, Calypso again spoke through his loudspeaker: "A ruins area would do fine. Can you imagine how many relics would get destroyed?" He laughed again as the contestants entered into the fray. Club Kid again planted a Vortex; this time sucking in Commander Mason and his vehicle. But even though Mason's tank burst into flames, he still made an attack with his Patriot Missiles, cutting right through Club Kid's micro car. Two competitors were out of the game.

As Ratchet saw this, he became more worried than ever. "I hope none of my friends die in this competition," he thought to himself. "I'll try my hardest to protect them."******

** ***At the fourth battleground, Calypso again spoke through his loudspeaker: "Ah, just like the olden days! Welcome to Paris, France! I'd love to see that Eiffel Tower come down again!" He gloated with excitement as the competitors went into the fight.

"This isn't right," Ratchet thought to himself. "We're all fighting here in the 'City of Love!' If my wish comes true after winning this, I hope Sasha forgives me."

During the battle, Gigadis sped his car throughout the streets. Once he took a sharp right turn, he suddenly bumped into Mr. Grimm and his motorcycle. "Out of my way, you freak!" Mr. Grimm shouted at Gigadis.

"I'd rather YOU get out of MY way!" Gigadis replied as he pulled a switch in his vehicle. It unleashed a Steel Dagger to jump out of the car and smack Mr. Grimm upwards. He flew through the air for a while and was blown against the Eiffel Tower, causing the top of the tower to come crashing down onto the rooftops of many buildings. That's another competitor out of the game.******

** ***At the fifth battleground, Calypso again spoke through his loudspeaker: "The graveyard from whence Sir Daniel Fortesque had been before! I certainly don't hope you find that Gargoyle so annoying." The contestants were ready to fight once again.

As Ratchet drove through the battleground mindlessly, Angela Cross watched him. "The way he looks…" she thought to herself, "the way he drives… he's acting like a hopeless and lost child. It's really freaking me out! I've got to help him… fast!"

As Ratchet turned upon an acre of tombstones, he encountered Gigadis driving right towards him. He right away recognized him as his worry turned to anger. "YOU!" Ratchet hissed as he came charging at Gigadis with full speed.

"Yeah, creepo!" Gigadis replied. "You remember me!"

Ratchet came crashing into Gigadis' vehicle and kept on shooting Ghost Missiles through Gigadis' car (with full rage). "YOU KILLED THE ONE I LOVE! NOW YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! I SWEAR IT!" He kept on firing until Gigadis was flipped upside-down and all damaged-up.

"So he wants revenge," Gigadis thought to himself as he climbed out of his destroyed car. "I have other plans for him. Perhaps once I take Pupuru as my wife and rule the world with her, Ratchet can become a squire and work for us! I'll grant him his girlfriend back as long as he works for us forever."

Ratchet sat there in his car for a moment, filled with grief and sorrow about the loss of the one he loved. Tears and sweat poured down his head as he thought more about it, also wishing desperately for his wish to be granted once he won this competition. "Later…" he thought to himself, "things will change!"******

** ***At the sixth battleground, Calypso again spoke through his loudspeaker: "Now here is a good place where you can easily receive the cold-shoulder-treatment, here in the Himalayas! Good luck with all that snow! It's just like Antarctica!" Everyone prepared themselves for this battle.

Soon, Kratos came into the scene driving the two giant wheels that once belonged to the man known as Axel. He did not mind the cold air and snow even though he was bare-chested. As he approached Preacher and his vehicle, he came charging towards him with full speed. "Another cretin sent by a so-called god," he spoke up as he came towards Preacher. "He can join the rest!" With that, he unleashed a full dose of his special weapon (Supernova Shockwave) and caused his opponent's vehicle to launch into the air with full impact.

But once Preacher came down, he made a move of his own. He started backing away quickly with all his speed, confusing Kratos and acting like he turned coward. Preacher then sent his special weapon (Soul Shadow) flying through the air and hovering about Kratos. He then made it detonate itself, causing fire to come pouring down onto his opponent. Desperately and quickly, Kratos wrenched himself out of the wheels and jumped out of the way of the impact. He was now out of the game.******

*****At the seventh battleground, Calypso again spoke through his loudspeaker: "YEE-HAW! Welcome you all to the southern-star state Texas! What fun we'll have throughout the dry and sandy deserts! But watch out for those dust-devils swirling about. You may never know when a bull is likely to appear and bash you away throughout the dust!" Everything was set, and the battle began.

As Ratchet drove through the desert of the battleground, still in his weird state of grief, he suddenly turned upon a dust-devil that came swirling around his vehicle. He was starting to get confused by its wind pressure and all that debris that flew all over him. But once it all stopped, he halted his vehicle to see that Preacher was right in front of him, prepared to charge at him with full speed.

Preacher looked deep into Ratchet's eyes, showing a look of suspiciousness and darkness. "You threaten us all," Preacher muttered. "Now I shall end you here and now!"

It all seemed hopeless for Ratchet; that is until Angela Cross came slamming right onto Preacher's car, flattening it and trapping Preacher inside. "Help me!" Preacher exclaimed as he struggled to squeeze himself out of the damaged vehicle. But Angela left him there and continued to drive off.

"I almost had the tendency to kill him," Angela thought to herself. "He treats everyone like an enemy of his! How annoying!"******

*****At the eighth (final) battleground, Calypso spoke through his loudspeaker once more: "We are all back here at the RPG Realm! You'd best watch out for the lava of Amazonia. It can really burn you to a crisp, like it did to Primeval's vehicle. I hope you find the pathways of this place satisfactory for battle. The competition has been a real blast! You've made it this far; don't give up now!" After Calypso said all that, he turned away and thought to himself: "I know you've been here before, Ratchet. This place must surely haunt you now; it must remind you of such bad memories. But you are very close to winning, I see."

Once the battle began, Mr. Ash came charging straight for Angela. He figured that it would be best to save Ratchet for last; he would make such a great opponent for him. "Let's get this over with," Mr. Ash thought to himself. "I want to retrieve Primeval and throw Gigadis into fires that would burn him to a crisp!"

Angela saw Mr. Ash driving into the scene, so she did her quick special weapon (Leap 'n Slam) and charged herself towards her opponent. But Mr. Ash drove out of the way fast enough to make her miss. "Strong…" he spoke up, "but not strong enough!" With that, he switched on his special weapon (Freeze Flame-thrower) and froze Angela's car in its tracks. While doing that, he also scorched her car so badly that it burst into flames.

"I've got to get out of here fast!" Angela thought to herself. "It's up to Ratchet to turn the tide of this competition!" She quickly escaped her damaged vehicle and was out of the game.

Now the only competitors here were Ratchet and Mr. Ash, face-to-face with each other. "Ah, my dear boy Ratchet," Mr. Ash spoke up again. "It has been a real pleasure fighting you. But the moment is just about to end once I push you into the molten lava that will burst you into flames! Let's see what you can do, monster!" With that, he came charging towards Ratchet.

But Ratchet had a plan that would certainly confuse Mr. Ash. He started racing around the track at top speed, making Mr. Ash having to turn his vehicle Darkside around and around over and over again. It was getting rather tiring for him to try and aim directly at Ratchet, and it was doing him no good.

While Ratchet was racing around the place, he kept on firing his swirling Ghost Missiles rapidly. The missiles darted around in mid-air, aiming themselves at Mr. Ash's semi-truck at powerful range. The missiles themselves homed in on their opponent faster than the speed of light, adding some enlightenment to Ratchet's satisfaction. They all kept on bashing into Mr. Ash's truck until it finally collapsed down onto the ground with a big thud.

The Twisted Metal competition of 2015 had now ended, and Ratchet was the winner. All of the other competitors did not die in this year's contest, mostly because Ratchet did not want to kill anyone (especially his friends, who were competing as well).******

*****Once all was settled, Ratchet drove into the Underworld, seeing Calypso waiting to give him his heart's desire. Evil Cole MacGrath stepped up to approach Ratchet, but Calypso stopped him right there. "That will not be necessary. You're dismissed."

"I don't like the looks of this," Evil Cole replied. "I don't want him to pull any tricks on us!"

"I said you're dismissed! Now be a good lad and go on about your business!"

"Who put YOU in charge of the Underworld?!" Evil Cole muttered as he walked away.

Ratchet approached Calypso, unaware that he had the key to something far more powerful than Ratchet had ever seen before.

Calypso smiled at Ratchet's success and spoke up to him: "Greetings, Ratchet! I raise my glass to the one who's made it all the way! As you know, I shall now grant any prize you request! What is it that your heart desires? After all, I am eager to hear. I want to help you, you helpless Lombax. You seem a little lost. Perhaps I can give you as much as you need."

"I don't want so much," Ratchet replied. "I just wish that everything would be back to normal! I no longer want to be seen as a threat to the entire world! I no longer want let death happen to any of my friends! And for the blood that I shed tonight, I hope I am forgiven for that."

"My, my! What a sensitive little boy you are! I always knew you would be the one to figure it out. I will grant your wish; but please! Feel free to come back and visit us any time. The rest of your friends will be here for quite a while." With that, Calypso grabbed a beaker that stood on a nearby table and handed it to Ratchet. It contained a red liquid that looked pretty suspicious.

"He doesn't even know what I'll do to him later," Ratchet thought to himself. "Once my wish is granted, the purpose of his evil days will be served! I'll show him what I've REALLY been holding back from him this whole time. But I've got to drink that potion first; it's the only way that things will get better! And yet, I don't know what it even tastes like. I'll try it anyway and see if it's safe." Bravely, Ratchet took hold of the potion and drank it down his throat. "Perhaps William became too soft for me once I started causing damage in the city. But little does he know that it was Needles inside my head that was causing all that. William must now be so happy for me, he made this potion taste like cranberry (because of its red color)." After Ratchet was done drinking all that, he suddenly started to feel a bit queasy. "Why do I feel so dizzy?" he wondered aloud.

"You must be extremely exhausted after that ordeal out there," Calypso replied. "Perhaps you should go home and rest for a while. But remember my words: I am Calypso, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal!"

Ratchet then closed his eyes out of his dizziness, feeling his head becoming drowsy. Clouded and groggy, he felt himself spinning and being lifted up in the air. After about two minutes, he then finally landed onto a soft cushion. He was back on his bed at the main house. Once he opened his eyes, he fully gained his senses back and looked around the room. "Did I do the right thing?" he thought to himself. "What if I've doomed everything?! But I'm going to need some sleep now. So once I wake back up, I will look around the city and see if there is even a very slight difference. Must rest a while… must… rest…"

**NEXT TIME: "PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS: RATCHET'S FIERY MADNESS!"**


End file.
